Darwin climate
Darwin (Northern Territory, Australia) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C82 °F, and about 1,654 mm65 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Darwin climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3086 | 2781 | 2984 | 37915 |
| Feb | 3085 | 2781 | 2883 | 35514 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2781 | 2983 | 28611 |
| Apr | 3187 | 2678 | 2883 | 983.8 |
| May | 3086 | 2374 | 2780 | 241.0 |
| Jun | 3085 | 2170 | 2578 | 30.1 |
| Jul | 3086 | 2171 | 2678 | 10.1 |
| Aug | 3187 | 2373 | 2780 | 20.1 |
| Sep | 3290 | 2577 | 2983 | 170.7 |
| Oct | 3391 | 2781 | 3086 | 582.3 |
| Nov | 3290 | 2882 | 3086 | 1405.5 |
| Dec | 3188 | 2882 | 2985 | 29111 |
| Year | 3391 | 2170 | 2882 | 1,65465 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81% | 91% | 5.1 | 12:47 |
| Feb | 81% | 85% | 5.3 | 12:31 |
| Mar | 79% | 79% | 5.5 | 12:12 |
| Apr | 74% | 57% | 5.7 | 11:50 |
| May | 68% | 49% | 5.3 | 11:33 |
| Jun | 59% | 46% | 5.1 | 11:24 |
| Jul | 56% | 41% | 5.3 | 11:27 |
| Aug | 54% | 41% | 5.9 | 11:42 |
| Sep | 60% | 44% | 6.4 | 12:03 |
| Oct | 63% | 51% | 6.7 | 12:24 |
| Nov | 69% | 66% | 6.4 | 12:42 |
| Dec | 76% | 84% | 5.6 | 12:51 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Darwin is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F and a low of 28 °C82 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 30 °C85 °F and lows 21 °C70 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.6 °C8.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,654 mm65 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 62% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is January (379 mm15 in), the driest is July (1 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 54% in August to 81% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 41%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in November to 16 km/h (10 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in June to 12.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Darwin
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–August: average highs of 30 °C85 °F to 31 °C87 °F with 1 mm0.1 in to 24 mm1.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (379 mm15 in) and humid (81% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Darwin
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 3085 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 2781 to 28 °C82 °F, about 290 mm11 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (April–October) — highs 3085 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 2170 to 27 °C81 °F, about 29 mm1.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Darwin compares
Of the 39 places in Australia covered by World Climates, Darwin is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Australia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Kyauktan (Myanmar, Aw), Thandwe (Myanmar, Aw) and Mormugao (India, Aw).
Nearby places
- Wyndham 446 km · 28 °C83 °F · 1,006 mm40 in
- Dili 721 km · 29 °C84 °F · 925 mm36 in
- Kupang 829 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,289 mm51 in
- Ambon 1,018 km · 27 °C80 °F · 2,655 mm105 in
- Timika 1,083 km · 26 °C79 °F · 4,607 mm181 in
- Merauke 1,134 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,890 mm74 in
- Baubau 1,193 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,768 mm70 in
- Labuan Bajo 1,276 km · 27 °C81 °F · 2,202 mm87 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Darwin?
November is the warmest month in Darwin, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 28 °C (82 °F).
What is the coldest month in Darwin?
June is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
When does it rain the most in Darwin?
January is the wettest month with about 379 mm (14.9 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 1 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Darwin?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–August.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.